


Intro to Thinly Veiled Heartache

by raspberryghoulaid



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Community - Freeform, First Kiss, Getting Together, Heartache, Idiots in Love, Kissing, M/M, Post-Finale, Reunion, Trobed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26486575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raspberryghoulaid/pseuds/raspberryghoulaid
Summary: Abed thinks he's lost his best friend after he watches him leave on a boat and never hears from him again, but he quickly finds out the universe not only has a gift with bringing people together, but making sure they always find their way back to each other.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 6
Kudos: 98





	Intro to Thinly Veiled Heartache

Abed is in the middle of hitting the button on his microwave when it happens, the appliance humming to life as his bowl of buttered noodles spins aimlessly around on the glass plate. His phone buzzes from the counter, displaying an unrecognizable number that Abed ignores, turning his attention back to his dinner. Until it buzzes again, and now Abed knows it’s not just a spam call, because it’d have just gone straight to voicemail if that were the case. He stares at it for a minute, contemplating answering, but the screen goes dark before he can make up his mind. Shrugging it off, he takes his pre-heated buttered noodles and makes his way towards the living room of his apartment.

It’s smaller than his old apartment back in Colorado, but he’s the only one here, so he supposes it’s not too bad. There’s a bedroom, a bathroom, and a joint living room and kitchen, and that’s all he really needs, so he’s not complaining. Sometimes he misses the chaos and clutter of his old apartment, the one he shared with Annie and-no, he’s not going to think about that right now. The tv is playing _Inspector Spacetime_ , and it’s enough to capture his attention for the time being.

And then his phone buzzes a third time, vibrating against the counter because Abed refuses to ever un-silence it, hating the dull shrill of his ringtone with a passion. Britta had once told him he was being overdramatic, but then quickly shut up when Annie explained to her how certain sounds affected him, and when he came to study group the next day he’d found she’d silenced her phone as well. At the time it had bothered him, how it felt like everyone was going out of their way to accommodate him, but now he realizes that Britta cared about him, and it wasn’t a gesture done out of pity. This time Abed rises to his feet, making it to the counter just in time to hit the green button before the screen disappears. “Hello?”

“Abed?”

Abed freezes, his body becoming stiff. It can’t be. “How did you get this number?” It’s the first thing that pops out of his mouth, and he hates how hostile it sounds.

“Annie gave it to me,” The voice responds, sounding taken aback, and now Abed really hates himself. “She told me you’d gotten a new number, I hope that’s okay.”

Abed takes a deep breath, the tv and his dinner long forgotten, and composes himself. “This isn’t real,” He whispers, his grip around the phone tightening. “I created this. It’s just another meltdown induced delusion. You left.”

“Abed, this isn’t a delusion,” Troy sighs, and he sounds tired. “I need you to go outside on your balcony.”

“What?” Within seconds, Abed’s stumbling over to a set of glass doors, shaking fingers pushing aside the curtains and curling around the handle. He doesn’t open it immediately, because what if this really _isn’t_ real? What happens if he opens the doors and there’s nothing waiting for him on the other side? He doesn’t think he can live through another letdown.

“Abed?”

His heart feels like it’s about to explode. Against his better judgement, he pulls the door open, stepping out into the brisk November evening air. But there he is. “Troy.” The sight of the other boy, hundreds of feet below him on the pavement is enough to break through the dam he’d been building all these years to keep his emotions from getting out, put there by Clone Abed to make it possible for Troy to ever leave in the first place, because Original Abed was selfish and would’ve never been able to let go of the boy he loved- _loves_. Except now he’s back, and he’s standing outside his apartment building, and Abed swears he’s not going to cry.

“Abed.” Even from stories above, Abed can see the smile that stretches across the other boy’s face as he looks up at him.

“I won’t let you up,” Abed shakes his head, grabbing onto the railing to keep him grounded. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Troy asks, the disappointment in his voice clear as day.

“You were on a boat,” Abed chokes, his voice threatening to give out on him. “You were on a boat for _three years_. I had to spend three years without my best friend, and I almost didn’t. There were so many times I almost gave up, and Annie had to pick up the pieces because you weren’t there to.”

“Abed I-”

“I know it’s not your fault,” Abed continues, cutting him off. “You wanted to be your own person, and I understand that. It’s what you wanted to do and I couldn’t stop that. But you could’ve called, or emailed, or sent me a _fucking_ letter, because I had to spend three whole years wondering if you were even _alive_ , Troy. It terrified me, and sometimes I thought…...if you weren’t alive, what was the purpose of me being alive?” 

Troy is silent for a few moments before speaking again. “Let me up, Abed. Please.”

Abed isn’t going to. He’s going to end the call and pretend like this conversation never happened so he can move on with his life in LA, because at least now he knows Troy is alive. Except, _now he knows Troy is alive_ , and he’s out there, and the thought of Troy existing without Abed is too much to bare and before he knows it he’s buzzing him up. The ringing of the intercom system echoes through the phone, and Abed can still hear Troy on the other side, the impact of his shoes against metal as he indubitably makes his way up the stairwell because Abed couldn’t get an apartment lower than the 18th floor.

Abed waits for it all to dissolve, for him to wake up in his own bed alone like every other day with the realization that it was only another nightmare. He’d push it out his head and get ready for work as usual, grabbing an aspirin along with his morning tea because he’s got a headache he can’t seem to shake. Then he’d go to sleep that night and relive it all again, because that’s just how it’s been for three years.

“You should really lock your door,” Abed opens his eyes, and in any other scenario he would be agreeing, because it’s LA, and of course he should lock his doors, but right now he can’t seem to find the words to say, or any words to say for that matter. He feels like crying, but years of disciplined emotional unavailability stop the tears from coming. Instead, there’s a thickness in his throat and a knot in his stomach that’s being pulled tighter with each step closer Troy takes. He doesn’t say anything at first, hesitates before reaching out and pulling Abed into his arms. On instinct, Abed wraps himself around Troy’s torso like a sloth to a tree, fearing that if he lets go it will all slip away from him. Abed still doesn’t cry, but he can feel the sobs rack through Troy as he holds him. “I’m so sorry, Abed.”

Abed buries his face in the other boy’s shoulder, fingers latching onto fistfuls of Troy’s sweater to assure him this is _real_ , that he’s not dreaming anymore. “I’ve missed you so much.” He breathes, because _God_ , has his life sucked without Troy in it.

“I’ve missed you, too, buddy,” Troy tells him, his words muffled by the fabric of Abed’s shirt. “I’ve missed you so damn much. After I finished my trip, you were the first person I had to come see. I’m sorry it took so long.” When Troy pulls back from the embrace, Abed reaches for his cheek impulsively, wiping the tears away with his thumb.

“You’re coming home?”

Troy smiles, just slightly, and nods. “Yea, yea I am.”

The affirmation sparks something inside of Abed, and he keeps his palm on Troy’s cheek, caressing the skin there endearingly. Troy leans into his touch, letting his hands trail down so they come to rest on Abed’s hips. “I really wanna kiss you right now.” Abed professes, letting his gaze navigate Troy’s face until it meets the other boy’s.

“Then do it.” Troy replies without delay. Abed nods, dipping down to capture the other boy’s lips before he can consider if he’s going to regret it later. Troy kisses him softly, and Abed’s entire body feels warm with bliss when Troy’s fingers graze the small strip of skin beneath his tee shirt. His lips part, just slightly, and Troy takes the invitation to deepen the kiss. It feels like an eternity of letting Troy consume him entirely before they break apart, putting aside their shared cupidity for a second to drink in the moment. Their foreheads fall together and they’re kissing again before long, but it ends before all rationality is forgotten and it escalates into something they both know it’s too soon for.

“I love you so much, Abed.” Troy says breathlessly when they seperate. Abed smiles because Troy is home now, and his apartment doesn’t feel so empty anymore. He’ll wake up in the morning after the first good night’s sleep in God knows how long, and there’ll be a cup of tea waiting for him and the promise of not having to have breakfast alone. There’ll be many more mornings like that, and nights spent coiled around one another while _Inspector Spacetime_ plays on the tv and the world outside the apartment doesn’t exist; where _his_ becomes _theirs_ and he doesn’t have to dream anymore because Troy is there pressing a tender kiss to his lips and telling him _he loves him_ , and Abed will never cease to say:

“I love you, too, Troy.”


End file.
